When the young midfielder made his local team debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 fans in 2019, his coach at the time predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
This statement proved to be something of an understatement.
Today 22 years old and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his first summons to the senior Three Lions team.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a true blast from the past, a journey seldom seen in the modern game.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of making it as a pro footballer, let alone featuring in the top division and playing for England as well,” Scott said previously.
“It has been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and things have transformed drastically for me and my family.”
But in what way did Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself here?
Developing in the lower tiers
His football journey has been far from a conventional one.
He was part of over four years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early each Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could attend training and play for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to he turned 13, though, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer him an option and he remained with them for a time, but, as he later admitted, his mind was not in it.
Instead, he chose to stay on Guernsey and play for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over weekly was starting to feel a bit too much,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at home with my friends at weekends because I had missed nearly four and a half years of that experience. Getting that slice of childhood again was a thing I really needed.
“Building some self-belief by returning and taking part in local football was huge for me. It was perhaps the most crucial things that got me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, Scott became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a second-half replacement in their league fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the side because his talent is obvious,” manager Tony Vance commented at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the manner he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Championship side Bristol City – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his early progress after an promising start in men’s football and arranged a trial in late 2019.
“It was hectic,” said the player. “Day one I trained with the youth team, the next day I trained with the first team, which was a total surprise.
“On the Wednesday I featured for his local side in the capital, travelled back and by Friday, I took the field for the youth team and netted a hat-trick. From that point a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
In just 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut versus Luton.
Scott went on to make 83 league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wing-back – and occasionally in attack as a number 10 – such was his adaptability and flexibility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was their best player.
With his ability to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team playmaker Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he won the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was selected in the league’s best XI and was named Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I believe he’ll play for England and I think he’ll go on to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at the club, stated last year.
Less than 90 days after, he signed for the Cherries for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his major transfer
The midfielder endured a challenging debut campaign with the Cherries, having to wait until the autumn to make his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the starting XI.
His second campaign was just as affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly several months.
“There was a decent run at the close of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained Scott.
“That felt like almost another obstacle and the year was turning out to be a pretty bad year for the first half.”
But he was then selected by England for the U21 Euros – and managed to get himself fit in time.
He started five of the England U21s’ six games as they went on to win the competition in Slovakia, forming a strong partnership in midfield with his teammate, who in turn has excelled for the senior side with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun this season just as strongly for his club, playing in every game to guide them to the top five in the table.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my life,” Scott stated recently.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, keep enjoying football, improving every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and earn an opportunity.”
